A second too late
by The Night Hunter
Summary: Second, sometimes it's all that is needed to change the fate of whole Galaxy


A second too late.

Ahsoka ran faster than normal Togruta ever could. Her visions lead to this very moment. Tapping into the force Ahsoka dashed towards the room where Padme was, knowing that the assassin was almost upon her.

Reaching the room the senator was in Ahsoka slammed the opening panel. The door slid open just in time...for a bloody red blaster bolt hit the back of unsuspecting senator.

"NOOOO!" Ahsoka screamed jumping in and with aid of the force dragging the assassin out of the went duck. The assassin that turned out to be Aurra Sing.

She hit the opposite wall with mighty force grunting in pain but she was used to it. She jumped quickly on her feet aiming her blasters at Ahsoka.

"You! I remember you Jedi brat!" Aurra shouted shooting the control panel sealing them inside the room.

"Do you have any idea who have you killed!?" Ahsoka exclaimed." She helped to safe millions of people! Why did you do that!?"

"Honey lil miss Senator stepped on the wrong toes in her life, it's nothing personal just business." She opened fire.

The young jedi began quickly deflecting the blasts but the bounty hunter was too good for her. One shoot passed through her defenses and wounded her arm.

"Argh!" The Togruta screamed in pain dropping her saber. The bounty hunter burst out laughing.

"It seems that tonight I celeb-" She was interrupted in mid sentence when a paralyzing blast hit her.

Ahsoka looked to the side seeing Padme holding her blaster with pained look on her face. The assassin went down trembling in spams.

"Senator Amidala!" Ahsoka rushed to Padme's side flipping her off to her back. Her eyes instantly went to the trail of blood coming from the corner of her mouth.

"I-I'm glad..." Padme tried to speak but was interrupted by fit of cough." ...you're ok"

"Don't speak! Help will be here any second!" Ahsoka told her hearing the commotion behind the doors.

"I don't have...that long." The light was leaving senators eyes much to the Jedi's horror."Tell Ani...I love him..." Padme closed her eyes letting out her last breath." I love him...more than anything...else"

Ahsoka didn't even registers the doors sliding open. She was numb holding the unmoving body of the deceased senator.

Despite knowing her only for a short while Ahsoka came to respect and admire Padme. Her kindness, her determination, her convictions to always do the right thing no matter the cost was everything Ahsoka aspired to be.

No wonder her master loved this woman with every fiber of his body. While he might have fooled the order sans Obi-Wan who Ahsoka was pretty sure knew about it, she was aware of his feeling.

He could hide his feelings for the senator from Jedi council but the bond they were sharing could not deceived.

Every time he saw her Ahsoka could feel wave of positive feelings coming from her Master. It did not took her long to connect the dots and...she couldn't be more than happy for Anakin.

Padme was his guiding light in this war. The pillar that kept him through he darkest days and strengthened his resolve.

But now she was no more. And it was her fault. She was too slow to save Padme…

A shiver went down her spine as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes, she failed to protect her Master's lover and that will devastate him.

Possibly make him turn to the darkside.

The mere thought of her master becoming a Sith filled her with fear. At some point a multiple pair of hands took Padme's body from her numbs arms to medbay.

Pointless action. There was nothing that could be done anymore…

* * *

Coruscant- Jedi temple

Anakin paced on the landing dock awaiting Padme's ship. Mater Yoda stood still humming some long forgotten song under his nose. The mission Padme was sent on was vital to the war effort and

there was an annoying information blockade on Alderaan. With the scraps he managed to find on the holonet something went terribly wrong.

'Padme always has to go head first into danger, it's good that Ahsoka's with her.' Anakin though but still he felt...uneasy. He could not explain it but something was wrong, terribly wrong. He used his years of training to calm himself down. Just few more minutes and he will have his wife and his precious padawan at his side and everything will be fine.

The ship landed on time and Anakin had to use every ounce of his will power to not rush to it. He chose to calmly walk there just in time for the hatch to open.

Ahsoka was the first one to step out.

His eyes instantly went to the would on her shoulder he looked up to make eye contact and froze.

Her large blue eyes were fearful, filled with grief and worry as Anakin came to horrible realization.

This feeling of uneasiness, it came from their bond. Ahsoka's fear, grief and guilt was pouring into him.

And the reason for it came right behind her. Surrounded by Alderaan's guard was a white coffin.

Anakin's world broke.

He opened his mouth but no sound came from it looking at the coffin with utter disbelief. Ahsoka moved to him but she did not know what to say, emitting waves of shame and guilt through their bond.

On the other side the young padawan cringed from the sheer of raw pain coming off from Anakin. It was almost as if someone tortured him.

Master Yoda seemed to sense the turmoil inside Anakin as he stopped his humming glancing at the Jedi knight with thoughtful expression.

The coffin came close to him.

"Stop..." His voice rang hollow, like it not belonged to him." Open it..."

"Forgive me Master Skywalker but we can't-" Bail Organa began but was interrupted.

"Open. it." This time the senator understood that it was no request as the Jedi pierced him with a stare that make his knees week.

He gave the guards the nod and they unsealed the coffin revealing Padme's body in stasis field.

She looked like was was sleeping. Like she would wake up any moment now.

Anakin reached with his organic hand to touch her cheek.

It was cold...deadly cold.

Padme was dead.

That thought came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. His wife, his love...his angel was dead.

Gone for ever.

Anakin stumbled back unable to watch his deceased lover any long. He did not care how it looked. He feel to his knees grabbing his hair with tears sliding down his cheeks. Grief and despair washed over him as his heart broke into minion pieces.

But the thing about Anakin Skywalker was that those feeling never lingered for long. Because they were always followed by something more sinister.

Rage, pure and unrefined rage.

At the injustice of a person like Padme being killed. Of the restriction making them hide their relationship. But most of all of him not being at her side to protect her.

Unable to hold it anymore he threw his head back and let a devastating scream.

Then all hell broke loose.

Unconsciously he called upon the force amplifying the volume of his voice. The steel beneath his feet cracked as the enormous pressure of the force swirled around the despairing Jedi.

Ahsoka gasped as she sheer of pressure washed over her both from outside and inside. It was almost like the very force was screaming along with Anakin.

All gathered were pushed back by the power of the Jedi and only a timely intervention of Master Yoda saved them from being pushed over the edge.

"Control yourself you must, Skywalker!" Yoda uttered shielding the rest from the monstrous force Anakin was releasing.

Temple guards rushed out of the building along with few Masters with Mace Windu on the front. All wary of the screaming Jedi.

Ahsoka felt that if she did not do something thing will end badly.

'How much air his lungs can hold?!' She thought squashing panic rising inside of her and forcing herself to calm down.

Using the bond they had Ahsoka begun influencing Anakin's mind hoping to calm the violent maelstorm that rampaged there. She cringed when she felt the dark side dwelling inside her master.

'Anakin please!' She thought desperately. She was too weak to pierce wall of rage around her masters mind.

But much to her relief she scream started to lose it's power and volume. It seemed that his body finally remembered that it needed air.

He was still kneeling with his head hung surrounded by dozen's of temple guards and Jedi, all wary of him.

The silence was absolute around his as no one dared to break the fragile tranquility.

"Who..." Anakin whispered yet somehow everyone heard him. His voice was different, horase from screaming yes but also filled with...something Ahsoka never heard before.

It frightened her.

" Who...killed her?" Aurra Sing took a nervous step back trying to hide behind the guard that was holding her. She was right in the middle of this force mumbo jumbo and seeing the reaction of the famous Anakin freaking Skywalker the good Senator was something more than a friend…

"Fuck..." She muttered feeling sweat sliding down her face. Now she had done it.

As if to prove her thoughts he was suddenly dragged towards the Jedi and soon felt a very, very strong grip on her neck.

"Who hired you?" His voice was calm, yet Aurra never in her life felt such dead as now. Somewhere in the back of her head was a snappy remark but the overflowing fear overtook everything.

"Ziro the Hut!" She choked desperately trying to take a breath." He put a hit!"

"I see..." Anakin tighten his grip on her neck to the point she began losing consciousness.

"That is enough!" Mace Windu moved forward grabbing Anakin's arms." She's an important witness Skywalker!"

"Witness? She's a killer!" He growled.

"A hired gun, a tool. We need her testimony to convict the real master mind behind senator's Amidala murder."

Anakin let Aurra go. She fell on her knees gasping for air.

"I will get you a confession." Anaking told them with fury. He was about to storm off but was stopped.

"Go anywhere you will not Master Skywalker, clouded your mind is hm" Yoda said." Dangerously close to the dark side you are."

"I-" Anakin began.

"Regain your calmness you must." the old jedi told him." Forbidden from leaving temple you are." There was a note of finality in the old Jedi vocie.

"What?!"

"Master please!" Ahsoka spoke." I promise you we will get Ziro to confess. You know he will be executed for that!"

Anakin looked around seeing that the gathered Jedi were looking at him warily.

He was alone.

Like never before in his life.

Without any more words he turned on his heel and marched towards the temple with few Jedi knights right behind him to ensure that he followed Yoda's orders.

"Master Yoda...what was the thing Anakin did?" Ahsoka timidly asked.

"That Padawan Tano Force Scream was." Yoda hummed." A powerful dark side ability. A result of great anger and grief, heard throughout the force."

"I don't understand." Ahsoka furrowed her eyebrows.

"It means Padawan that not only Jedi heard that…." Master Windu said omnivorously.

* * *

Chancellor Palpatine ordered everyone out of his office. He was beyond livid. All his careful planning and machinations. All his efforts and hours spent on subtly nudging Skywalker towards the dark side ruined.

The moment he _heard_ his scream he knew that something went terribly wrong. The moment he received a note about Senator Amidala's murder his plans fell into ruin.

She was the leverage he was planning to use to drag Skywalker to his side. To finally push him beyond the edge.

Now by force's cruel joke she was dead killed by assassin. An electric discourage ran through his fingers.

'How is this possible? My visions never failed me before!' He grit his teeth feeling rage fill his veins.

Taking a deep breath to calm down he summoned his aide.

He would find whoever did that and make sure to make his or her execution a spectacle of the century.

He just hoped Skywalker managed to stay in light. If Jedi detained him them it would spell a catastrophe for his plans...

* * *

 _Coruscant maximum security prison_

Ahsoka steeled herself before the meeting with the vile Hutt. Her Master's future was dependent on whenever she would be able to make him spill the beans. The hardened glass slid open and Ahsoka stepped into Hutt's cell.

"Ziro the Hutt..." She spoke drawing attention of the purple alien.

"Hoooo and who you might be?" Ziro turned to look at her.

"I'm Ahsoka Tano and I heard that you might have a grudge against Sentaor Amidala..."

"And who told you something so utterly ridiculous!?" Ziro exclaimed." I did no such thing!"

"Aurra Sing says otherwise, we have her in custody and she gave full confession."

"What?! S-She did! Impossible! I should have hired someone better..." The hutt spluttered. " Ohhhh..."

"Unluckily for you she succeeded-" Ahsoka began.

"HA! No one crosses Ziro the Hutt!" He began to cheer." I hope tha dumb senator suffered!"

"I would not be so happy if I were you." Ahsoka warned." Assassinating a senator is punished by death and pray that firing squad gets you first..."

"What do you mean?"

"Because the senator you killed was a close person to certain someone..." Ahsoka told him ominously. Content with leaving the Hutt anxious she left the cell with recording safe in her pocket.

Now it was time to solve the most difficult part…

Inform Anakin.

* * *

Skywalker sat on the only renaming piece of furniture that wasn't shattered to pieces. The Jedi wisely hadn't bothered him when he went his rage on the nearby surroundings.

After his rage subdued grief filled him as he sat and tried to rein in his emotions.

Just like with his mother he was unable to save Padme.

'I should have been with her!' He grit his teeth holding his tears at bay. He took a shaky breath trying to contain himself.

He regretted now that he tuned out all those lessons about meditation Obi-wan tried to teach him.

They all warned him of attachments on how they can lead to the darkside…

He never listened and now he was paying the price, yet how could he not hold onto it? Padme was his pillar. She was what kept his inner darkness at bay a silver lining, that was now gone.

'What do I have left?' He mussed with grief. Image of Obi-Wan and Ahsoka flashed through his mind.

He knew that if something would happen to him she would be Master-less and due to another idiotic rule if Padawan do not have master she or he would have to be moved to Agri-corps without being able to become full Jedi in long future.

And with the war raging on with no clear sight in the end Ahsoka would be forced to do menial tasks for a really long time.

That could not be.

There was an option that Obi-Wan would take her but ultimately it would be council decision what to do with her, and they weren't too keen on her already. She adapted too much of his bad habits already.

'Maybe it would be good to have her learn under Obi-Wan…' He clenched his fists.

Even now after what he suffered he was reluctant to let go of his attachments. How many times he needed to be burned to finally let go of them.

Was the pain worth it?

A flood of images of his Mother and Padme filled his minds. The good, the bad, the worst.

Anakin took a shaky breath.

By the force it was worth it.

And he would not let go of what little he had. He would value it even more.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

His inner mussing were interrupted by loud knock. The doors slid open and as usual Ahsoka entered without being invited.

"Mater I- wow..." She paused in mid-sentence seeing the destruction.

"Sorry for the mess..." Anaking apologized weakly." Everything's broken aside from bed…"

"So I see...look I managed to get a confession from Ziro the Hut, he admitted to putting a hit on Senator Amidala..." She stopped feeling a spike of anger and grief through her bond." I already handed the recording to authorities...he will face trial very soon."

Anakin hung his head feeling a glimpse of relief.

"Thank you Ahsoka..." He managed to choke exhaustion settling in.

Ahsoka bit her lip no sure on what to do. Anakin looked so frail so vulnerable…

She slowly approached him and sat on the bed next to him.

"I'm here for you Anakin..." She whispered using his name, not daring to look at him. She dearly hoped that she did not insult him. He just lost the woman he loved so Ahsoka wasn't sure how he would take it.

Anakin laughed bitterly.

"Should it be a Master's job to be there for his padawan?" He replied." Thank you..." Anakin wrestled with himself for a moment." It means a lot to me Ahsoka."

Ahsoka nodded small smile building on her face. Then she recalled Padme's last words for Anakin.

"Master before Sen- Padme died she wanted to tell you something..." Ahsoka looked into Anakin's eyes seeing how the carved to know what those words were." She wanted you to know that she loved you...more than anything else" Her voice craked a little

Anakin closed his eyes taking in what his Padawan told him. Love, pain and grief again were battling for supremacy but this time instead of going into fit of rage he preojected Padme before his eyes. Seeing her kind, gentle image managed to dwindle the darkness inside him a bit.

"Thank you...thank you Ahsoka..." He rasped feeling his hands tremble with emotions.

"Always Master." Young Jedi nodded happy that he managed to give her Master a semblence os closure."How about we try this meditating thing?"

Anakin nodded and closed his eyes once again trying to bring some calm to the maelstrom of emotions that were inside him.

Initially he knew that he would fail since he was too weak to be able to do it. But this time was different.

Bit by bit he felt that his emotions calmed down and the light side of the force was filling him pushing the darkness back.

The light from Ahsoka that was seeping into him, through their bond managed to give him the push he needed.

While still grief and pain were present they were now subdued buried under flood of positive memories the light brought to the surface.

'I will always love you Padme...' He thought unaware that in the state of deep connection Ahsoka could almost read his thoughts.

'I will never abandon you Anakin.' She made him this promise.

But would she be able to keep it?

* * *

A/N

After watching Rebels especially newest season I decied to write something for the true better Star Wars. I really miss the Clone wars and I hope that one day we will see season 7 of this show.


End file.
